The present disclosure relates to a hinge unit and to an image reading apparatus and an image forming apparatus including the same suitably used in a multi-function printer, a printer, a scanner, or the like including a document pressor.
Hitherto, there is known an image forming apparatus or the like including a hinge unit and configured to turnably support a document pressor through the hinge unit to exposure a contact glass on an upper surface of an body of the apparatus (referred to simply as an ‘apparatus body’ hereinafter) and to press a document on the contact glass.
For instance, there is a document pressing plate opening/closing device as a type of hinge unit including a support member configured to support the document pressing plate, a leg part turnably linked to the support member and inserted into the body of the apparatus, a guide groove extending vertically along a side face of the leg part, and a roller member guided by the guide groove. This document pressing plate opening/closing device is configured such the leg part is not slipped out of the apparatus body by engaging the roller member with the guide groove.
By the way, a maintenance work of office machines such as a copier is carried out periodically in general. At that time, there is a case where the document pressing plate is removed out of the apparatus body. However, because the leg part of the document pressing plate closing/opening device described above cannot be pulled out of the apparatus body, the document pressing plate cannot be readily removed during the maintenance work. Due to that, an operator cannot complete the maintenance work efficiently in a short time.